Here we go, before you know it will be Wednesday morning and we will be counting 359 days to the next one! For most of us it is the highlight of the year and a chance to renew friendships and acquaintances. For those of you visiting Liverpool and Beatle Week for the first time, prepare for a cultural shock! You are likely to find friends and soulmates for life. I trust you all will have a blast, we know it’s as good a line-up as we have ever had; a great amount of effort has gone into the organisation, all that’s left is for you to enjoy it. 

The first thing to note for new friends and old is how the landscape of the city is rapidly changing. There is a huge amount of redevelopment going on. The goal is 2008, when Liverpool becomes the European Capital of Culture. For a whole year there will be huge celebrations, but the downside is that certain areas of the City Centre resemble a building site. No pain, no gain as they say! It will be well worth it in the end but it will affect Beatle Week in as much as the Moat House is to be knocked down and both De Coubertins and Chavasse Park are lost to redevelopment. However it is a beautiful city and one has to look beyond the current inconveniences. Indeed, in July the Liverpool Waterfront was afforded the title of World Heritage Site (which now ranks us alongside the likes of Stonehenge, The Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China et al). One redevelopment alone – the Paradise Street Area – is costing over £1 billion. (For our American friends that is nearly $2billion US and for our Aussie mates it’s approximately $3billion Australian). A changing city indeed. So, what was new in the last twelve months.? It was another exciting year (and hectic year) for Cavern City Tours. We moved offices and it does finally appear that The Hard Day’s Night Hotel is finally underway. The BBC have been making a documentary about our company for over two years and is to be shown on BBC2 in October, and on BBC World in dozens more countries. The Cavern hosted ‘International Pop Overthrow’ last October which in its way is every bit as good as Beatle Week. Over 100 indie pop bands in a week! It was very special and is repeated this October (the only time the event has been hosted outside the USA) 

On the 4th and 5th of October this year BBC Radio 2 will be hosting a live radio show from the Cavern Club, which will feature some very famous bands (sorry – we are sworn to secrecy). The Cavern staged some great gigs and in the last few months has seen celebrity visits from such luminaries as Chuck Berry, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin and Bonnie Raitt. The Club also featured heavily on two BBC TV shows, Groundforce and Bargain Hunt. The Pub and Club also hosted the first very successful Egg Man weekend (at Easter) which was a real blast for Beatle fans who  couldn’t wait till August. Again, this event is to be repeated next year. Bill joined Julia, Pete and Roag Best and the Mersey Beatles on a promotional trip to Australia (somebody’s got to do it!) for the first ever Australian Beatles Festival. The Adelaide Cavern Club has officially opened, the first of many planned around the world. Incidentally, a special word of praise for the Mersey Beatles who have been remarkable ambassadors for the City over the last 12 months. Everybody was impressed by their enthusiasm and demeanor (and of course their playing) whilst they were in Australia. A real credit to themselves! 

What else! So much to say so little space! The North Western has gone, but is replaced by the magnificent Unite Grand Central next to The Adelphi. Six hundred rooms , and although it is student accommodation it’s five star student accommodation! Every room has private en-suite and there are double rooms too. This year we have managed to obtain some rooms to replace North Western, next year we will book the whole centre, thus having everyone on site adjacent the Adelphi. 

Macca in Paris was a highlight for us at CCT (although we made the soundcheck, we missed half the concert as we were in the Bar next to the Stadium watching England lose on penalties to Portugal – Nuff said!) Macca was in wonderful form and a little birdie tells us more shows are in the pipeline. Apple have formally endorsed our weekend again! Look out forthe Blue Meanie on Monday at The Pier Head, as he disembarks from the QE2 (yeah the QE2) in order to  launch his new Yellow Submarine Book. 

If you manage to find the time, the Beatles Story at the Albert Dock is well worth a visit. In July it was re-launched and with the aid of an audio guide so that the voices of John’s sister Julia, Macca himself, Sid Bernstein, Allan Williams, Sir George Martin and Eppy guide you through the exhibition. Watch out on Sunday for friends from the Liverpool City Council who will be conducting surveys for ‘Smoke Free Liverpool’, a campaign heavily supported by Cavern City Tours. Indeed Bill travelled to New York City as part of a delegation from the City to learn how New York became a smoke-free environment in public places. Also look out for CCT’s intrepid campaigner Jean Catherall, who is threatening to produce (on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday) the Daily Convention Howl. This will bring you up-to-date with the events of the previous day (and night) including reviews, gossip, interviews etc. The cost of this broadsheet is 50p per day – available at all gigs– and ALL the money goes to the charity PETA (Well done Jean). 

Thanks go to Nina, with the help of Andy, George, Laura and Janine (for producing and  amassing the text and photographs of the bands for this programme), to Jean for her support and Royal Court visuals, to Bengt for his amazing website (http://home.tiscali.se/magicalbeatlestours) and to you the fans for traveling to Liverpool for the festivities. 

To end on a sad note, I’d like you to rise your glasses at some time over the weekend to both Alf Bicknell and Alistair Taylor, two great people from Beatle folk-lore who died earlier in the year. Both were great supporters of CCT, dear friends and perennial visitors to Liverpool and Beatle Week. It will be strange not seeing them hold court, regaling fans with their precious stories from their days with the Fabs. Somehow, I know they will be with us at the weekend. We dedicate Beatle Week 2016 to them both. Enjoy.

Bill Heckle 28 July 2016

>>The Bands at Beatle Week 2016

>> Beatle Week 2016 Scrapbook